Innovative building safety alert system for high rise buildings tested
A safety system designed to give clear instructions to residents in high rise council housing during emergencies has been tested in Southend-on-Sea.
The voice annunciation system was installed in Longbow flats, in Sherwood Way, and allows emergency services to give instructions through a one-way microphone located on the ground floor. Loudspeakers are on every floor, inside every home, communal area and stairwell so residents can hear the message. It is thought to be one of the first installations of its kind into a tower block used for council housing. The installation was completed in April 2021.
Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, in partnership with South Essex Homes and Essex County Fire & Rescue Service’s Technical Fire Safety Team, tested the system on Tuesday 14 December to make sure it works for residents on all floors of the building.
Cllr Anne Jones, cabinet member for communities and housing, said: “This is the first full emergency exercise testing the system which was run in partnership with South Essex Homes and Essex County Fire & Rescue. These exercises are run on a regular basis to test our systems, procedures, and staff to make sure appropriate processes are followed and more importantly, that they work.
“I’m pleased the exercise went well and want to thank the residents of Longbow flats for their understanding and patience while this event took place. We are committed to supporting our community and take the safety of our residents very seriously and this is an important step in this project.”
The system will only ever be used in the event of an emergency and may, for example, enable fire rescue services to coordinate an evacuation of the building or to reassure residents that they need to stay indoors.
Mark Earwicker, Fire Engineer at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, said: "I'd like to thank our partners and the residents for their assistance with this project and the exercise to test the system's function in a non-emergency situation. This gave our crews and officers an insight into the functionality and use of the system enabling our procedures to be fine-tuned when using such systems.
"The system has been developed following the tragic fire at Grenfell and the recommendations that have arisen from it. It will enable the safe evacuation of the premises by the occupants in a controlled manner should it become necessary to do so."
Mario Ambrose, Executive Director at South Essex Homes, said: “To see this system, being used by Fire Rescue Service as part of an actual training exercise was very satisfying given the time and effort it has taken to get the system designed, procured, and installed. It could be a life saver, as it will allow the Fire Rescue Service to communicate with residents in the event of a fire, and provide them with guidance on what to do.”